Extension and validation of the ZPEKTR code for determining the inclination angles of Be stars
Abstract
Classical Be stars are non-supergiant B-type stars that rotate at a significant fraction of their critical velocity and are surrounded by equatorial circumstellar discs. Rapid rotation induces stellar oblateness and gravity darkening, making the emergent spectrum dependent on both the stellar parameters and the inclination angle. We assess the reliability of the ZPEKTR code for determining inclination angles across different rotation rates, identify the minimum rotation rate required for reliable estimates, and extend our previous analysis to derive consistent stellar parameters for 21 classical Be stars. We evaluated the method through noise-injection tests on synthetic spectra spanning a broad range of rotational rates and inclination angles. We constructed a grid of gravity-darkened synthetic spectra with ZPEKTR, covering the atmospheric and rotational parameter space of classical Be stars. Stellar and rotational parameters were derived through Q minimisation of the HeI 4388, 4471, and 6678 Å line profiles. We applied the method to 21 classical Be stars using archival BeSOS/PUCHEROS spectra and new observations from the LCO/NRES network. The rotation rate was reliably recovered across the tested inclinations, while inclination estimates improved with increasing rotation rate. Reliable inclination estimates were obtained for V/Vc ≥ 0.46. For the observed sample, the derived inclination angles show excellent agreement with independent interferometric measurements, yielding R2 = 0.985. ZPEKTR provides a promising spectroscopic method for constraining inclination angles and rotational properties in rapidly rotating massive stars. By accounting for stellar deformation and gravity darkening, it offers a practical alternative to interferometric observations and enables the analysis of larger samples of classical Be stars.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{turisgallo2026extension,
title = {{Extension and validation of the ZPEKTR code for determining the inclination angles of Be stars}},
author = {Daniela Turis-Gallo and Michel Curé and Ronaldo. S. Levenhagen and Catalina Arcos and Ignacio Araya},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.40375},
eprint = {2610.40375},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.40375},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Extension and validation of the ZPEKTR code for determining the inclination angles of Be stars
AU - Daniela Turis-Gallo
AU - Michel Curé
AU - Ronaldo. S. Levenhagen
AU - Catalina Arcos
AU - Ignacio Araya
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.40375
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.40375
AB - Classical Be stars are non-supergiant B-type stars that rotate at a significant fraction of their critical velocity and are surrounded by equatorial circumstellar discs. Rapid rotation induces stellar oblateness and gravity darkening, making the emergent spectrum dependent on both the stellar parameters and the inclination angle. We assess the reliability of the ZPEKTR code for determining inclination angles across different rotation rates, identify the minimum rotation rate required for reliable estimates, and extend our previous analysis to derive consistent stellar parameters for 21 classical Be stars. We evaluated the method through noise-injection tests on synthetic spectra spanning a broad range of rotational rates and inclination angles. We constructed a grid of gravity-darkened synthetic spectra with ZPEKTR, covering the atmospheric and rotational parameter space of classical Be stars. Stellar and rotational parameters were derived through Q minimisation of the HeI 4388, 4471, and 6678 Å line profiles. We applied the method to 21 classical Be stars using archival BeSOS/PUCHEROS spectra and new observations from the LCO/NRES network. The rotation rate was reliably recovered across the tested inclinations, while inclination estimates improved with increasing rotation rate. Reliable inclination estimates were obtained for V/Vc ≥ 0.46. For the observed sample, the derived inclination angles show excellent agreement with independent interferometric measurements, yielding R^2 = 0.985. ZPEKTR provides a promising spectroscopic method for constraining inclination angles and rotational properties in rapidly rotating massive stars. By accounting for stellar deformation and gravity darkening, it offers a practical alternative to interferometric observations and enables the analysis of larger samples of classical Be stars.
ER -